Red Blood Cell Distribution Width and Pediatric Post-operative Cardiac Function

Introduction : Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) has recently been introduced as an important related factor in surveying prognosis of chronic diseases. This study was performed to assess the relationship between RDW and cardiac function before and after congenital heart disease surgery in children. Method Seventy-six children with congenital heart disease (CHD) requiring surgery admitted in Modarres Hospital pediatric cardiology ward were enrolled in this cross-sectional descriptive study. Blood samples were taken for RDW determination. Two-dimensional, M-mode, Doppler flow velocity and Tissue Doppler Imaging (TDI) were applied to evaluate cardiac function by echocardiography on the day following operation. Results There was no relationship between Preoperative RDW levels and early postoperative heart function except for increased Aortic Velocity Time Integral (VTI) and Mitral Valve Systolic Velocity (MV S′) noted in patients with higher RDW percents. Also, patients with higher RDW showed a longer intra-operative pump time and mean ICU stay. Conclusion Higher RDW levels may predict longer duration of surgery and ICU stay in pediatric cardiac surgery, however it has no relationship with cardiac function in the early postoperative period.